Aapo Ilves
Aapo Ilves (born 20 October 1970) is a poet, prose writer, playwright, musician and artist.
Ilves was born and attended school at Räpina. He furthered his art education studying from Boris Lukats and the Finnish graphic artist Esa Riippa. Ilves has worked in a variety of jobs, being an artist and designer, orchestra player, web administrator, photographer, etc. From 1997, he was a member of Tartu Young Authors’ Association and is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union.
From his first works, the poetry collection Üks pedajas (‘One Pine’, 1998) and the prose collection Ema on kajaka juures (‘Mother Is Visiting a Seagull’, 2001), he has stood out with a broad amplitude and a certain rakish attitude. His poetry is often based on doggerel effects; an essential place belongs to an ironical and sniggering look, parodical motifs, various allusions and quotations. Ilves’ creation has been acknowledged for its witty and flexible use of the language. His works reflect the teasing mentality of the Young Authors’ Association members and upside-down reflections of the trends and tendencies of the present-day society. Along with standard Estonian, Ilves has written in Võro and Seto regional varieties of the language.
An essential place in Ilves’ creation belongs to song lyrics. He has written them, for example, for the groups Jäääär, Lõkõriq, Neiokõsõ and the singers Tanel Padar and Ott Lepland. He has written the lyrics for two songs that represented Estonia at Eurovision: Tii (‘Road’, 2004, performed by Neiokõsõ) and Kuula (‘Listen’, 2012, performed by Ott Lepland).
Ilves has written various texts for the theatre, translated, created music, issued CDs, edited collections, illustrated books and played in films.
Ilves has received various acknowledgements, for example, he was awarded the title of Tartu Bearer of Culture (2005), the badge of merit of Räpina municipality (2006, 2013), the cultural award of Põlva County (2009), the badge of merit of Põlva County (2011), the Cultural Pearl Award of Põlva County (2014); special prize for the best children’s story at the Estonian Writers’ Union’s competition children’s stories in South-Estonian regional languages (2008, for the story Rilli and koll – ‘Rilli and Spook’ – which he wrote together with his mother Tiina Ilves) and awards at Uma laul (‘Our Own Song’) competitions of songs in the Võro language (2008, 2010, 2013).
A. K. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Poetry collections
Üks pedajas. Tartu: Eesti Kostabi Selts, 1998, 29 lk
Aapo Ilves, Jan Rahman, Olavi Ruitlane, Contra, Pulga Jaan, Viie pääle. Räpina: Väiku Välläandja, 2005, 187 lk + CD.
Tulen öösel sulle koju: valik tekste 1996-2009. Räpina: Väike Kirjastaja, 2009, 112 lk
Prose
Ema on kajaka juures: lühiproosat 1999-2001. Räpina: Väike Kirjastaja, 2001, 86 lk
Tapu asemel sõime: meenetusi. Räpina: Väike Kirjastaja, 2003, 47 lk
Children’s books
Muinasjutud lastele ja suurtele. Tallinn: Futu Print, 2012, 45 lk
Aapo Ilves, Jaan Pehk, Contra, Alar Pikkorainen, Isa sokk on matkasell: luuletused. Tallinn: IlmaPress, 2012, 87 lk
Aapo Ilves, Jaan Pehk, Contra, Alar Pikkorainen, Isa sokk on ufonaut: luuletused. Tallinn: IlmaPress, 2013, 87 lk
Aapo Ilves, Paul-Eerik Rummo, Contra, Alar Pikkorainen, Isa sokk on merekaru: luuletused. Tallinn: Pead, 2015, 87 lk
Plays
Ööpik Võhandu kaldalt: lustakas ja filosoofiline näitemäng suvisel ajal ja vabas õhus rahvanäitlejate trupiga maha mängimiseks: Herman Juulius Schmalzi (1870-1945) elust. Räpina: Väike Kirjastaja, 2002, 60 lk
Wõõbsu palas!: pääaigu aoluuline näütõmäng kateh jaoh. Suvitsel aol Wõõbsu liinah pritsikuuri iih mängimises. Räpina: Väike Kirjastaja, 2003, 48 lk
Sillapää Ossi kronika: peaaegu ajalooline näitemäng, ehk, Jandul kahes osas. Ilvese Aapo nn. „Räpina triloogia“ lõpp ja algus. Suvisel ajal rahvanäitlejate kambaga Sillapää lossi ees mängimiseks. Räpina: Väike Kirjastaja, 2004, 55 lk
